One thing we don’t want for you is to end up not only with the upheaval of the divorce, we don’t want you to be owing your divorce lawyer a great big cheque to boot.

so here are a few things to have in mind when hiring or talking to your lawyer. Most lawyers will charge a consultancy fee, make sure you understand this cost, if it is a flat fee or if it’s charged by the hour, this will have to pay even if you do not hire the lawyer so listen carefully to him as time is money.

You generally will have to pay a retainer, this is a fee you pay up front, it’s basically a guarantee for your lawyer that the firm will be paid for the work they are doing for you, you normally have to pay this quiet frequently so you need to ask your lawyer what their payment policy is.

If you can avoid going to court then we stress to you not to go into litigation as this is very costly and will drain you completely, so try and resolve or compromise with your spouse when possible.

Try to use a lawyer who has been recommended who you know will do a good job, do not out of desperation use the first lawyer you see.

Also we know that you are going through one of the most emotionally draining times of your life, but please do not use your lawyer as a therapist, every word you say will be costing you, use your lawyer for your legal issues and friends or a therapist for your personal ones.

All these points will help you immensely so we hope throughout you take them into account.

Read more helpful articles on divorce here.